State of Being: The Everglades
If you are a native Floridian, like me, you’ve probably heard of the Everglades. Honestly, if you are alive, you’ve probably heard of the Florida Everglades. It’s one of the earth’s most natural and precious wonders. Its hydraulic system is complex and fascinating, and to think that anyone has ever wanted to change or negatively impact the wildlife and absolute beauty that surrounds this area, is devastating.
Everglades Battle
A battle between wildlife advocates and an oil-rigging family from Texas has taken place in Florida for years now. The Kanter family, who owns acres upon acres in the Florida Everglades, submitted documentation for a permit to drill for oil in the wetlands in 2015.
When news spread, conservationists balked at the idea, and ultimately, the Department of Environmental Protection denied the permit. However, in a change of events, this decision was recently overturned by a Florida appeals court.
Florida isn’t an oil-rigging hub for many reasons. Mainly due to its land and the water surrounding the area. To that point, the findings from the court case revealed there was only a little over 20% chance of Kanter’s company finding oil in the Everglades. Even if there was a 100% chance, is it worth it?
Beauty and Protection
Why would anyone want to ruin or taint one of our world’s most natural wonders? I just don’t get it. The Florida Everglades is one of the largest areas of biodiversity in the world. Its mix of wetland, marshes, and grass, allow for various species of sustained wildlife. The real beauty is these different species coexisting.
It’s the only place on the planet where you could see a panther, alligator, and a manatee, all on the same day. Who will protect these native species of animals if we, as humans, don’t? They can’t defend themselves from hunting or habitat loss. Only we can limit those areas by conserving perhaps our world’s greatest wonder.
Yet, I come to you from a state of bliss. Because recently, the State of Florida announced it had bought 20,000 acres of land from the Kanter company. This revolutionary announcement will allow Florida to protect and conserve one of its most diverse ecosystems.
Many conservation efforts have taken place to protect the Everglades. But perhaps the most important one was just announced in the acquisition of land by Florida. Much respect to the State of Florida for pulling it off and being willing to fork up the money. It’s a great day to be a Floridian.
State of Being
What I love most about the Everglades is their naturalness. They can’t be changed, altered, constructed, or duplicated in any other way. That is if we just let them be. It’s precisely why the Everglades are so unique. Like when someone tells you to take a moment and “just be.”
Similar to our lives, the Everglades just are. There are times in our lives when we must let ourselves simply be. After all, we are called human BEings for a reason. It’s because we are in a state of being. What does this mean, exactly?
Well, many of us are always on the go every single day. We fill our calendars and lives for that matter, with stuff. As humans, we feel it gives us a sense of purpose and makes us feel important. Yet, I sincerely encourage you not to forget the being in human beings. It means whatever is going on in our lives, no matter how hectic, we can always just be. To simply let our thoughts come and go, meditate, breathe deeply, and be.
